Grizzly Bear Cubs and Me

Original version

BBC Two Northern Ireland

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Factual: Science & Nature: Nature & Environment

Gordon Buchanan helps rehabilitate orphaned baby grizzly bears into the Russian wilderness

Wildlife cameraman Gordon Buchanan helps to rehabilitate six orphaned baby grizzly bears into the Russian wilderness.

Series 1

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Gordon Buchanan

Anwar Mamon

Ted Oakes

Wendy Rattray

Grizzly Bear Cubs and Me: Series 1: Episode 2

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Episode 2

BBC Two - Grizzly Bear Cubs and Me, Series 1, Episode 2

Gordon Buchanan begins training the cubs for their new life in the Russian wilderness.

Wildlife series. Gordon Buchanan begins training the cubs for their new life in the wilderness. With just ten weeks left before release, little Pasha is still struggling.

Gordon Buchanan is rehabilitating six orphaned baby grizzly bears back to the wild - in just nine months. 

There are only ten weeks left before the bears are due to be released into the wilderness, but they are not ready yet. First, they must learn two essential bear survival skills, how to swim and how to forage. Most importantly, they also need to put on enough weight to survive the impending Russian winter alone. Without a mother bear to teach or feed them, it is down to Gordon and the Pazhetnov family of biologists to prepare the orphans for the harsh realities of bear life. 

For this vital part of their development, the Pazhetnovs have designed a special wilderness training zone just outside the enclosure, where they can experience the wild but return to the safety of the enclosure at any time. Gordon opens the gate and the biggest cub Zhora leads the group into the forest. Pasha, the smallest cub, eventually follows - he is the orphan the family are most worried about. Pasha is always at the back and last to feed at any foraging sites. As a result, he is struggling to put on weight. 

As the release date draws nearer, all the cubs undergo a series of challenges to check they are ready to survive in the wild, but will all six of them make it?

Grizzly Bear Cubs and Me: Series 1

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Gordon Buchanan rehabilitates six orphaned baby grizzly bears into the Russian wilderness

Wildlife cameraman Gordon Buchanan helps to rehabilitate six orphaned baby grizzly bears into the Russian wilderness

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Grizzly Bear Cubs and Me

Series 1

Episode 2

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